Pretty Eyes
by guitarstrings0187
Summary: "She doesn't mind if she has to give Quinn bouquets of gardenias or single gardenias wrapped in a light green ribbon every single day if it means getting to have this-Quinn in her arms and in love with her, too." Quinn keeps the wrist corsage from junior prom, and the second time Rachel sees it is in her dorm, lying on her desk. After that, she musters the courage to ask Quinn out.


**A/N: Just a little headcanon that struck me after wondering what happened to Quinn's wrist corsage. And so, this fic was born out of that. I hope you guys enjoy this one!**

 **Credits mention: Pretty Eyes by Alex Goot**

* * *

Rachel doesn't know why she hasn't seen it before. After all, she's been visiting Quinn nearly every weekend these past few months, but why only _now,_ she doesn't understand. Her breath catches in her throat and she feels a lump start to form as the memories come rushing back to her. She walks to Quinn's desk and takes the item in her hand, and it's then that a tear rolls down her cheek.

After all this time, Quinn has kept it. She'd never thought that Quinn had taken good care of it up until now, and it makes her want to cry because this gift was the silent recognition of her feelings for Quinn back in high school.

Feelings that she still carries over until this very moment, and more days, months, _years_ to come.

But the thing is, Quinn still doesn't know the whole story of the corsage. Or how Rachel is _in love_ with her.

"Rach?"

The sound of Quinn's voice jolts Rachel from her reverie, and she quickly wipes away her tears before she turns to face the blonde. Rachel traces Quinn's gaze to the corsage in her hand, the petals slightly withered in some parts yet still intact. How Quinn had taken care of it for such a long time amazes Rachel, and it makes her heart ache and flutter at the same time.

"Hey," Rachel smiles shakily and carefully places the corsage back to where it belongs, looking into the eyes that had been the inspiration for it.

It still surprises her how quickly she had been able to think of the perfect _gift_ for the perfect _girl_ the moment Finn asked her for advice. But with the way Quinn's entrancing hazel orbs stare at her with so much intensity and the flecks of gold that swirl within them makes her realize again why it hadn't been so difficult.

"It's kind of my lucky charm," Quinn confesses with a nostalgic smile that makes Rachel feel sentimental at the same time. "I know that it sounds crazy, especially coming from someone like me, but it reminds me that someone cared and knew me enough to think of something as amazing as this as a gift. And they match-"

"-your eyes," Rachel finishes in a soft voice, and Quinn looks at her, hazel eyes wide in surprise. "I just realized," she quickly amends herself before Quinn could catch on.

Maybe she's a coward for backing down from telling Quinn the whole truth of the Gardenia at the last second, but she doesn't know how to explain everything, either. And she's not entirely sure if Quinn even wants to date her or agree to pursue a romantic relationship together.

"Oh," Quinn says quietly, and Rachel swears that she sees her face drop in disappointment for a second before a small smile replaces it. But maybe she's just overthinking things. She's known for reading into things too much, after all. And the fact that it's _Quinn_ makes it even harder for her.

"This is the first time I've seen it since junior prom," Rachel says.

"Oh, I forgot to put it back in my drawer before you came by. I normally keep it there to make sure it doesn't get damaged."

"But it looks like you've been taking good care of it. I mean, you've had it since junior prom and we're into our second term at college right now," Rachel says, a part of her still awe-struck and touched at how _delicate_ Quinn must have been towards it.

Quinn smiles and nods, her hazel eyes filled with nostalgia. And it's then that Rachel longs to see the smile on Quinn's face when she received the corsage from Finn. Which kind of still came from her, in a way.

"I have… It's one of the very few things from high school that I have good memories of," Quinn admits, her voice taking on a sad lilt at the last part that makes the lump in Rachel's throat bigger and harder to force down.

Rachel just wants to _kiss_ Quinn, because she's so sad and beautiful, but mostly the latter. Quinn always has been the most beautiful girl in her eyes, after all.

But she stops herself, all words dying in her throat. Admittedly, she's still afraid to cross that line.

Too afraid to lose her friendship with Quinn all because of these feelings for the pretty blonde cheerleader that simply refuses to go away, no matter how hard she tries.

Quinn's eyes drift to the corsage, and Rachel watches how those flecks of gold within the green swirl with emotion, soft and warm and smiling. And it's her that brought that smile to those normally sad-ridden eyes.

If only she knows the words to say.

* * *

All Rachel could think about is Quinn. In the train on the way back to New York, during her classes in NYADA and basically in everything that she did. Quinn and her lovely hazel eyes. Green with flecks of gold. When she closes her eyes, all she can see is the smile on Quinn's face during junior prom. Her face when she looked at the corsage.

And when she dreams, all of them involve kissing Quinn.

It scares her to know just how much she wants Quinn. How much she wants to actually _feel_ Quinn's lips on hers. A curiosity that never died out since the moment she asked Finn what it felt like to kiss Quinn.

Rachel groans and buries her face against her pillow, wondering what on earth was happening to her. She feels like a giddy high school girl who can't stop thinking of her crush. Quinn just drives her absolutely insane, what with those gorgeous hazel eyes, silky blonde hair, and her perfectly sculpted jawline. And those eyebrows of hers that arched delicately and perfectly when she raised them.

She feels like she can go mad at any moment, because all she wants to do is _kiss_ Quinn and _not kiss_ Quinn at the same time. Ask Quinn out on a date, and _not ask_ her out on a date. Opposing forces, one telling her to stop being a coward and cross that line and the other stopping her from doing an insane thing that might bring an abrupt end to their friendship.

All of these thoughts drive her crazy, and she doesn't know how to deal with them anymore.

Doesn't know how to deal with her _feelings_ for Quinn.

Her phone starts to ring, and Rachel jolts out of her bed in surprise. She swallows when she sees that the caller is Quinn. Probably the sixth time she's called since the day started. The other five, Rachel avoided answering. And the texts? Not responded to. Read, but not replied.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel answers the call and holds the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Quinn," she says cheerfully, trying to sound as normal as possible and acting like she wasn't avoiding Quinn.

" _Why didn't you return my calls and texts?"_

The underlying insecurity in Quinn's voice makes Rachel's gut twist in guilt. She could easily make up a lie and tell Quinn that she had been busy the whole day, but part of her knows that Quinn won't buy her excuses.

"Sorry, I just got caught up with some things," Rachel says apologetically. And by things, meaning her thoughts filled with Quinn, Quinn, and _more_ Quinn.

" _Oh. I just- I thought you were avoiding me…"_

Hurt this time, and it actually makes Rachel wince. Because it was true, somewhat. She rubs her forehead and lets out a soft sigh, stomach still twisting and turning in her guilt.

"I'm really sorry… Let me make it up to you. How about dinner or something? My treat," Rachel offers, and she freezes when she realizes what she just said.

The other end goes silent, and Rachel is about to say never mind and make up some brilliant excuse as to why _that_ offer came out like she was asking Quinn out on a date. She mentally berates herself for it, wondering how _coffee_ turned into an offer for _dinner_.

And she knows that Quinn isn't oblivious, that maybe the silence is because Quinn also realized what she was asking. So she holds her breath and prays to whatever deity on high that Quinn hadn't heard that, or that the blonde won't push her away and reject her outright.

" _Like… a date?"_

Rachel swallows, but apart from that, her whole body stays still. _Of course_ Quinn had caught on. She's about to say no, that it's just her making up for her mistake and that it's just dinner between two friends. Friends that _aren't dating_ or anything of the like.

But maybe this is her chance. Her chance to make up for the cowardice for not telling Quinn the whole story about the Gardenia when the opportunity finally presented itself. And she's been pining in the shadows for _years_ , how badly could one date hurt them? Hurt _her_?

"If- if you want it to be," Rachel answers, her heart threatening to leap out of her throat.

" _Yes… I'd love to go out on a date with you, Rachel."_

Quinn says it without missing a beat, but Rachel doesn't miss the shyness in her voice. Her jaw drops, because _Quinn Fabray_ actually agreed to go out on a _date_ with her. She pinches herself just to make sure that it isn't a dream, and she winces at the action.

" _Rachel?"_

Rachel jumps and takes deep and calming breaths, trying not to overexcite herself because she tends to get all jumpy and giggly when something good happens.

And as far as things go, _this_ is the best thing that's happened to her.

"I, uh, right. A- a date," Rachel stutters, and she flushes when she hears Quinn giggle. But Quinn _rarely_ giggles, so Rachel smiles and mentally notes how adorable it is. "So, uh, next week? I'll be there in New Haven and uhm, I'll just research some restaurants or- or you can tell me where's your favorite place to eat and I'll take you-"

" _Rachel,"_ Quinn laughs, and Rachel wants to groan because she just made a fool of herself by _rambling._ Absolutely perfect for asking the girl she's been in love with since forever on a date. _"Any place is fine with me."_

"Oh, uhm, okay. I'll see you next weekend," Rachel stammers, and Quinn chuckles.

" _I'll see you next weekend. Good night, Rachel."_

"Good night, Quinn," Rachel breathes out, and the line goes dead.

She doesn't know whether to squeal in delight or groan because first, Quinn agreed to go out with her, and second, she just had to make a fool of herself by _rambling_. _Real smooth_ , she tells herself.

But she just grins as she plops down on her bed, because _finally_ , she now has her chance with Quinn.

* * *

The whole week passes by in a blur, and Rachel spends all of her nights planning the date. She wants it to be perfect, because it's _Quinn_. Hopefully her nerves won't ruin the night for her. It's one thing to make a fool of herself over the phone, but she's determined not to let it happen again.

Quinn just has a way of turning her into mush when she looks at her with those gorgeous hazel eyes that makes her heart beat erratically.

She swallows the lump in her throat and carefully cradles the bouquet of gardenias she bought in one arm, then raps on the door of Quinn's dorm room using her free hand. A faint 'coming' comes from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of footfalls. And then the door opens, and Rachel feels all air leave her lungs when she sees Quinn.

Quinn wears a white-dotted, knee-length emerald-colored dress with a thick brown belt around her waist and a navy blue cardigan, her long blonde hair curled in neat tufts and a small hint of make-up. Her full, pink lips are curled up into a soft smile, and it reminds Rachel of when they were in high school. How she always wore dresses with cardigans, looking stunningly beautiful in each one of them.

Rachel opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again, much too stunned by the angel standing in front of her. So much for not making a fool of herself. Quinn bites back a laugh while Rachel stares at her dumbly at a complete loss for words.

"Hi, Rachel," Quinn smiles and touches Rachel's arm, which jolts the brunette back to reality.

Clearing her throat, Rachel smiles back nervously and holds out the flowers. Surprise colors Quinn's face, her hazel eyes wide and eyebrows arched high. Sweat breaks out of Rachel's forehead, because judging by the look on Quinn's face, it seems like she put two and two together regarding the corsage.

But Quinn doesn't say anything about it, just takes the bouquet and smiles adoringly as she touches the petals. Rachel chews on her lip and shoves her hands inside the pockets of her jeans, silently watching the way Quinn's hazel eyes light up in delight.

"Gardenias mean that you are lovely," Rachel offers and Quinn blushes, a red tinge creeping up her cheeks. "You look beautiful, Quinn," she adds, breath catching in her throat at the way Quinn's eyelashes flutter when she blinks. _You always do_ , she says in her mind.

Quinn leans closer to Rachel and kisses her cheek, her lips soft and warm against her skin. A tingling sensation spreads throughout Rachel's face and she stands shock-still, mouth hanging open in surprise. It lasts for a second, and Quinn pulls back and whispers, "They're beautiful, Rachel… Thank you."

"Y-you're welcome, Quinn," Rachel stammers, and she resists the urge to touch the spot where the feel of Quinn's lips still lingers.

"Just let me put these inside and I'll be back," Quinn says, and Rachel nods numbly as she watches the blonde disappear inside the room. That's when she presses her fingers against her cheek, and she makes a small, strangled noise at the realization that Quinn just _kissed_ her. Maybe it was just on the cheek, but it caught her off guard nonetheless.

Rachel puts down her hand and smiles dreamily, because Quinn Fabray most definitely just kissed her. The goofy smile is still in place when Quinn walks back out, but she quickly drops it so as not to get caught.

"Ready?" Rachel asks, and Quinn smiles and nods. They walk side by side in silence, and Rachel feels her skin warm up every time her hand brushes against Quinn's.

"So, where are you taking me?" Quinn asks curiously.

Rachel grins and shrugs. "It's a surprise."

Quinn hums and doesn't ask any more questions, and Rachel knows it's because she's more patient than she is. Had the roles been reversed, she would be bugging Quinn for more information or clues as to where they were going, since she's an impatient and restless person by nature. Quinn, on the other hand, is the opposite. She's mostly quiet and content to stay in the background, not quite a spotlight-seeking person.

They've both changed considerably in one way or another after graduating from high school, and one major change Rachel underwent was giving up her vegan lifestyle, especially since she be spending all of her allowance just for her food if she tried to keep it up. Regular food is expensive enough in New York, and going for vegan food every day would make her bank account cry. Her dads more so.

But Quinn became more confident the moment she stepped out of Lima, and judging by the strength in her eyes, Rachel knew that she managed to drop all the anchors that were dragging her down. And she'll never say it out loud, but she felt relieved and happy when Quinn told her that she didn't remain in contact with Puck. All calls and texts from him were left unanswered, until he finally went silent.

Quinn might not have flat out told her, but Rachel knows that she considers Puck to be her biggest anchor of all. Especially considering that the terrible things he'd done to her far outweigh the decent ones.

And she might have blind to it before, but now she knows that Finn is the same. Just an anchor weighing her down and sinking her deeper and deeper until she nearly lost sight of herself.

They round the corner and the restaurant she chose comes into sight. The place is jam packed, and Rachel thanked her lucky stars that she decided to go for a reservation.

"We're here," Rachel announces, and Quinn smiles widely.

"Kumo Hibachi? I love it here!" Quinn laughs, bright and like music to Rachel's ears. "How did you choose this?"

"I kind of went with my gut feeling. Plus, I love Japanese food," Rachel grins, doing an internal fist pump for a job well done. At least she won't have to worry about Quinn not liking the place or the food any longer. "Shall we?" she bows slightly and holds the door open for Quinn.

Quinn giggles and walks inside, Rachel following after her. The waiter leads them to their reserved table, and in the middle sits a candle. Rachel pulls out a chair for Quinn, and she receives a kiss on the cheek again as a thank you. In a daze, she sits on her own chair and picks up the menu.

"You can choose whatever you like," Rachel says, and Quinn nods and looks at her own menu.

She decides to go for the Salmon Hibachi set and Miso soup and waits for Quinn to finish. A smile spreads across her face as Quinn furrows her eyebrows and chews on her lip, her eyes scanning the pages of the menu. It goes on for a few minutes, until Quinn smiles in satisfaction and gazes back at her.

"Do you want some sushi?" Quinn asks.

"Sure, you can go pick out what kind you want," Rachel answers.

Quinn scans the menu again, and then puts it down. "Alright, I'm ready."

Rachel raises her hand and a waiter walks toward them. Rachel places her order first, and Quinn chooses the Pork Katsu Don and the tuna maki for the sushi. The waiter leaves when they finish, and both settle comfortably, their eyes on each other.

"So, how did your week go?" Rachel leans forward and rests her elbows on the table, the flame of the candle on the table flickering and casting a shadow on Quinn's face, bringing out her hazel eyes that dances along with the tiny flame. She has to suck in a deep breath lest she forget how to breathe, what with the way Quinn is smiling so angelically at her.

"Oh, you know, just trying my best to keep up with the workload," Quinn laughs and waves her hand, a relaxed sound that makes Rachel's heart flutter as fast as a hummingbird's wings. She loves how Quinn has become carefree, smiling and laughing more often than she did when they were still in high school. Her dimples deepen, pearly white teeth showing and smile wide and genuine, reaching up to her eyes.

"Knowing you, I'm thinking that you're just being modest and you're actually acing through everything with a breeze," Rachel giggles.

"You really do have a lot of faith in me, don't you?" Quinn quirks a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Mmhmm."

Quinn shakes her head fondly, the expression on her face soft and warm. To Rachel, it looks like Quinn has completely let down her walls, and she itches to reach out her hand and place it on top of Quinn's. Her hand twitches, and she's about to do it when the plates food are suddenly being set in front of her. Irritation flashes across her face for a few seconds before she composes herself, looks at the waiter and thanks him.

"I'm _sure_ that's not all you have to tell me, though," Rachel says. "Try me."

Quinn laughs and launches into the details of her week while they eat, telling stories about her classes and professors and classmates and just _everything_ she's been experiencing in Yale in general. The way her eyes twinkle with mirth, the way she grins, the way she throws her head back and laughs are all so _easy_. There is softness, happiness in her expression when she speaks, and Rachel wonders how long Quinn has been burying this side of her.

Rachel sits still, entranced with the way Quinn's lips move while she talks, the husky quality of her voice trapping her within its confines. She's always seen Quinn as someone beautiful and filled with grace, and she doesn't think that anyone can compare.

Quinn pauses for a moment, and Rachel waits patiently for what she has to say next.

"You know, someone in my class flirted with me," Quinn says softly, and Rachel freezes in her seat. But it shouldn't be any surprise, really, because Quinn is so beautiful that anyone would be a fool not to glance her way. "A girl, the day before I agreed to go out with you," she adds carefully, as though treading on ice.

Rachel swallows and looks away, unsure on how to react to that. Quinn chews on her lip, but Rachel remains silent. She knows that Quinn isn't doing it on purpose to sour the mood, that it's just another story about her week. And she doesn't want to ruin everything by saying something that they both won't like.

So she just settles by saying this, "I can't blame her for that. You're the prettiest girl I've ever met, but I know that you're a whole lot more than that. And I'm seeing that right now."

For a moment, it feels like she's back in that bathroom with Quinn again during junior prom. She's said those words back then, but she still means them now. Quinn _is_ the prettiest girl in her eyes, but she knows enough that that isn't how Quinn wants to be seen. After all, most people see Quinn only for her face, not for the things beyond it.

Quinn smiles shyly and ducks her head a little, a hint of pink coating her cheeks. It squeezes Rachel's heart, and her head spins because it feels like all air has left her.

"I ignored her, by the way," Quinn laughs softly, and Rachel has to fight hard to fight off the grin that threatens to spread across her face. "I just… turned around and walked away."

Rachel hums and glances at Quinn's hand that is daintily perched on top of the table, and she finally takes the chance and covers it with her own. Quinn's eyes widen in surprise, but makes no move to jerk her hand away. A comfortable kind of silence falls on them, and Rachel relishes in the warmth of Quinn's hand below hers. Quinn's skin is smooth, its paleness a nice contrast against the bronze color of her own. There's a tenderness in Quinn's hazel eyes as they fall on their hands, and Rachel squeezes gently, breath hitching at how natural it feels. Like she's always been meant to hold Quinn's hand.

And maybe it is, because she has never felt more at peace and in tune with the depths of the feelings she has than she is right now, with Quinn right in front of her and both of them simply just looking at each other, their eyes flickering with various emotions.

Rachel sighs, laces their fingers together, the spaces in between hers filled perfectly by Quinn's.

Quinn smiles, drops her gaze to their intertwined fingers, then looks back at Rachel.

"Well, now I feel really lucky that you didn't end the call when I asked if you wanted this to be a date," Rachel says lightly, a huge grin spreading across her face. Quinn giggles, and the bright sound fills Rachel with joy. All she wants is to hear that sound over and over again, and she knows that she won't ever get tired of it.

"You should," Quinn teases, and Rachel bursts out laughing at this.

And she really does feel lucky, most especially because Quinn doesn't seem to want to let go of her hand, either.

* * *

Their date ends on a happy note, and Rachel is content to listen to Quinn sing quietly as they walk back to her dorm. It's a success on Rachel's end, because she managed not to make a complete fool of herself the whole evening. And Quinn looks happy, the smile on her face not once faltering the whole time that they are together.

For Rachel, it's definitely worth all the effort and sleepless nights if it means getting to see Quinn this happy.

They arrive at the dorm, and Quinn unlocks the door to her room. She walks inside and turns on the lights, and Rachel follows her, locking the door behind her. Quinn is humming a light tune as she goes to her bedroom, and Rachel stops outside of it.

"Rachel? Aren't you going to come in?" Quinn asks, a puzzled expression on her face.

"I'll uh, I'll sleep on the couch," Rachel offers immediately, and Quinn arches a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

It might seem strange, seeing as they always slept on the same bed during their visits, but that was when they still weren't dating. And Rachel wants to be chivalrous, because she's pretty sure she's going to end up making out with Quinn the whole night and touching the blonde _everywhere_ if she gives in now. After all, she's been pining for Quinn for a very long time now.

But Quinn is having none of it. "Nonsense, Rachel. The couch isn't very comfortable to sleep in," Quinn says and grips Rachel's wrist, and the brunette is about to give in, but she shakes her head and gently tugs herself free from the blonde's grasp.

"I'm trying to be honorable, and I don't think I'll be able to do that if I sleep in the same bed with you tonight," Rachel says firmly, knowing that Quinn is her greatest weakness.

It was hard enough to restrain herself before, and now that she's one step closer to actually being with Quinn, she's determined not to mess it up by taking things too quickly. Quinn sighs and bites her lip, her expression hesitant.

"Fine," Quinn finally concedes, and Rachel smiles triumphantly. "But don't complain when your back is sore when you wake up tomorrow morning," she warns, and Rachel just shrugs like it doesn't bother her.

"I promise," Rachel raises a hand, her expression solemn.

Quinn laughs and lightly slaps her arm. "Dork. Go ahead and get ready for bed."

Rachel nods and goes inside Quinn's bedroom, then takes out a shirt and a pair of shorts. Both of them decided that it would be best if she just left a few of her clothes with Quinn so that she won't have to bring a bulky bag every time she comes over for the weekend. And Quinn also has her own clothes back in Rachel's apartment in New York. It's an arrangement that works out perfectly for both of them, and it makes their travels easier.

She heads into the bathroom, brushes her teeth and changes into her sleepwear. Quinn has offered to take care of her laundry for her, so she puts her clothes inside the basket. Again, another arrangement they agreed on.

After she's done preparing for bed, she leaves the bathroom and plops down on the couch inside the living room. On the table is a vase which holds the flowers Rachel had brought for Quinn, and it makes her smile. She doesn't know why, but she's slightly confident that Quinn is going to take care of them as much as she took care of the wrist corsage.

"Hey…"

Rachel looks up and sees Quinn walking towards her, and she smiles and stands up.

"I just wanted to say good night," Quinn says softly, and before Rachel can respond, a pair of soft lips are pressing gently against hers. The kiss is chaste and sweet, and it leaves Rachel numb when Quinn pulls away.

"I- uh, g-good night, Quinn," Rachel squeaks, cheeks burning a bright red when Quinn giggles at her reaction. "S-sleep well?"

Quinn laughs and touches her arm lightly, as though unaware of the effect she has on Rachel. "You too, Rach. See you in the morning."

And with that, Quinn walks off, while Rachel dazedly lies down on the couch, feeling lightheaded and tingly all over. She stares at the ceiling, presses two fingers against her lips, replaying the sensation of Quinn _kissing_ her. A goofy grin spreads all over her face, and she hopes that there will be more shared kisses between her and Quinn.

The grin is still fixed in place when she closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep, dreaming of sleeping beside Quinn and waking up next to her.

* * *

Fair enough to Quinn, Rachel's back _is_ a little sore when she wakes up the next morning. But she's not going to tell Quinn that, because she knows that she's going to get that infamous eyebrow raise along with an 'I told you so' to boot. Still, she groans and turns over to her side, and everything is quiet. She reaches for her phone and groggily notes the time, sighing when she sees that it's still early.

Which isn't a surprise, because she _always_ wakes up early, like her body has an internal alarm clock that makes sure to wake her up in the wee hours of the morning. And from years of experience, she knows that she won't be able to go back to sleep even if she tried her hardest. She yawns and puts her phone aside, sits up, and stretches up her arms, shirt hiking up a little.

And like any other of their sleepovers, Quinn is still asleep. Rachel wishes she could be there when Quinn opens up her hazel eyes, much like how she watches on their previous sleepovers. There's nothing quite like seeing Quinn wake up in the morning, with her drooping eyelids and the quiet, sleepy murmur she would greet Rachel with.

But for now, Rachel would resist crawling into the same bed with Quinn. There has to be boundaries now that they've kind of started dating, after all.

She shuffles into the kitchen and knowingly makes her way around it, having cooked for Quinn before on several occasions. Really, it's funny how Quinn makes sure to stock up mostly on _bacon_ , and Rachel laughs and shakes her head fondly as she grabs an open package from the freezer. Much to her relief though, bacon isn't the only thing Quinn has in her fridge. There's an assortment of fruits and yogurt inside, and other food that is friendly for Rachel. She makes a note to thank Quinn when she wakes up, because she knows that they're mostly for her.

The scent of bacon being fried wafts through the air as Rachel cooks, and she has to admit that it does smell good. Not that she'll ever eat any, of course. She still has to follow the Jewish tradition regarding food, after all. She's only doing this for Quinn, and it took a long time before she finally stopped cringing at the sight of it and of personally cooking it.

After she finishes cooking, she turns off the stove and puts the bacon on a plate and places it on a tray. She adds some fruit she took from the fridge and carefully carries the tray to Quinn's bedroom, smiling when she sees a mess of blonde hair peeking out from underneath the covers. She puts the tray on the bedside table and climbs on the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping blonde.

"Hey, Quinn… Wake up," Rachel murmurs and gently shakes Quinn's shoulders.

Quinn groans and curls into a ball, ignoring Rachel's attempts to wake her up. Giggling lightly, Rachel runs her hand through Quinn's hair, until the blonde finally stirs, hazel eyes slowly opening and blearily looking up at her.

"Just give me five more minutes," Quinn mumbles groggily and closes her eyes. Rachel laughs and shakes her head fondly, knowing there is only one sure way to get Quinn up and ready to go.

"I cooked bacon," she says, and Quinn's eyes snap wide open at this.

"You're serious? You cooked breakfast for me?" Quinn gapes at her, and Rachel grins and grabs the tray.

"Just how you like them," Rachel places the tray on the bed, and Quinn grins and sits up and stretches her arms, a sliver of pale skin peeking from underneath her shirt. The sight of her abs makes Rachel groan softly, and she averts her gaze from Quinn's stomach for self-control.

"Well, aren't you moving a little too fast," Quinn teases her, hazel eyes twinkling with mirth. Still she leans in and kisses Rachel sweetly, enough to make the brunette's head spin. "Thank you, Rachel."

"I, uh, no problem," Rachel stammers, watching Quinn's lips twitch into an amused smile.

"But aren't you going to eat something else? Unless you've decided to go for bacon…" Quinn raises an eyebrow, tilting her head towards the plate.

"Oh, er, right!" Rachel squeaks, her cheeks flaming a bright red as Quinn laughs heartily at her reaction. "I'll be back," she swallows nervously and scurries away.

She grabs some fruit and yogurt from the fridge and goes back to Quinn's bedroom, where the blonde is happily chewing away at the crunchy pork strips. For a moment, Rachel's heart swells with pride because it looks like she really has mastered the art of cooking bacon, judging by the way Quinn enjoys eating it.

At the sound of her footsteps, Quinn looks at her and moves to leave space for Rachel. Grinning widely, Rachel sits beside Quinn and starts eating her breakfast. Once in a while, they would bump shoulders and giggle, completely at ease with each other. Rachel attributes it to their being best friends for a long time, and she's glad that things aren't heading for the awkward direction at all.

And that Quinn looks so _happy_ and carefree with her.

After they finish eating, she takes the tray from Quinn and moves to stand up from the bed. She is stopped, however, when Quinn tugs at the hem of her shirt to pull her back.

Confused, she turns to look at Quinn. "What is it?"

"Take care of that later," Quinn murmurs, and Rachel wants to protest because she doesn't like leaving unwashed dishes lying around. But _it's Quinn_ , and she's the one person she can't ever find herself saying no to.

"Okay," she relents and places the tray on the bedside table.

She lies back against the bed and Quinn snuggles close to her. Like basic instinct, she opens her arms and allows Quinn to settle into them, head against her chest. A content sigh drifts from Quinn's lips, and Rachel leans in to kiss her hair; another first for the both of them.

And it's perfect, like they've been doing this forever.

* * *

More and more dates follow after that, and this is one of the rare weekends where Rachel doesn't get to visit Quinn or vice-versa. After all, she has to visit her dads every once in a while to give them physical proof that she's doing fine. And of course, she kind of misses the way they dote on her but she knows that she has to be independent.

And being with Quinn eases all of that.

She stares at the tiara that sits inside the glass cabinet of her dads' house, the jewels that adorn it shining and the silver squeaky clean and glowing. She knows that Quinn had given it up for her, even though they haven't really talked about it. Of course, she was absolutely sure that her name never came up for the candidates, even more sure that Quinn had won it. Santana would never do anything of the like, and Quinn had long since changed when they became seniors.

But it doesn't truly belong to her. It's meant to be for Quinn, and she needs to return it to its rightful owner. That night, she felt beautiful, appreciated. At one point, maybe she needed it. But it soon wore off on her, and now that she's looking at it again, she can imagine it perched on top of Quinn's golden hair and wearing the smile that tugged at her heartstrings.

The smile that she still falls in love with every time Quinn has it on her face.

But she wants a romantic way to give it back to Quinn; not just appear with it and return it after small talk over dinner. She's not Rachel Berry if she doesn't love grand romantic gestures, after all.

She thinks back to the corsage, to gardenias, and to prom.

And then it hits her. She grins as she bounces up to her bedroom and writes down her plans for their next date.

It also feels like the perfect opportunity to finally ask Quinn to officially be her girlfriend.

* * *

It's two weeks after coming back from Lima that Rachel sets her plan into motion

Everything is set up perfectly in the loft, and all that's left is to wait for Quinn to arrive from New Haven. The floor is lined with black paper decorated with white starflakes, green and white streamers stapled over the walls. A mirrored ball hangs from the ceiling, and in the corner of the room is her iPod docked on speakers. The furniture from the living room is pushed to various corners of the room, leaving an empty space in the middle of the room, with a small stage set up at the front.

Rachel feels immensely proud of herself for being able to organize everything, and she's grateful for the help of her friends. They managed to fit their budget to buy everything they needed, and setting Santana's whining aside, she got everyone's cooperation. Maybe she could have even organized their prom back in high school.

It's worth it if it means getting to make Quinn feel loved and appreciated for who she is.

There's only twenty minutes left before Quinn arrives, and Rachel can't wait to see the look on her face when she walks in. Everyone else is ready, and they're all just chatting with each other while waiting for Quinn.

She wishes that time would go by faster, because she misses Quinn so much and she just wants to hold her hand and kiss her. They weren't able to talk for the whole day, because Rachel had to focus all her energy in making sure that everything went perfectly in place. And looking at it now, she's confident that Quinn would love it. With an excited grin in place, she rushes to the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror, making sure that her make-up is still intact. Finding that it is, she exits and goes to her bedroom, then takes the new corsage that she prepared.

Her phone buzzes on top of her desk, with Quinn's face lighting up the screen. Heart skipping a beat, she holds the phone to her ear and carefully puts the corsage away.

" _Hey, Rach! I'm already on the elevator, and I'll be there in a few seconds."_

The sound of Quinn's voice fills Rachel with a sense of warmth, her longing to hear that husky tone dissipating now that she's listening to it.

"Okay, Quinn. I'll be right at the door," Rachel answers, and Quinn says goodbye and the call is dropped.

Taking deep and calming breaths, Rachel puts her phone away and takes the corsage again, careful not to close a fist around it. She walks out of her room and motions for everyone to keep silent. Everyone immediately stops talking, and Rachel stands in front of the sliding door.

As soon as the doorbell rings, Rachel turns off the lights and opens the door. Quinn is standing on the other side, wearing a knee-length purple dress and nude-colored flats, and Rachel finds herself speechless at the glorious sight in front of her.

Quinn smiles shyly and Rachel blinks after she recovers.

"You look beautiful," Rachel breathes out, unable to glance away from Quinn's face.

"Thank you, Rachel…" Quinn says abashedly, and one look into hazel eyes, she remembers her gift.

She takes Quinn's hand in hers and brings out the corsage, a soft smile curling at her lips. Quinn's lips part in a silent gasp as she stares at the object in Rachel's hand, the look on her face one of surprise.

"Rachel, I-" Quinn falters and shakes her head, hazel eyes glistening with tears. Rachel cups her face in her hands and wipes away her tears, and Quinn smiles appreciatively.

"Here…" Rachel murmurs and helps Quinn wear the corsage, her skin tingling with electricity. She flashes back to the bathroom where she chased Quinn into, and she remembers the time where their hands brushed together when she offered the blonde some tissues.

"They match your eyes…" Rachel adds softly, and a bright smile spreads across Quinn's face. "I've always loved looking into them."

"It was you, wasn't it?" Quinn asks, but the flicker in her eyes tells Rachel that she already knows that for a fact.

"Yes, it was," Rachel confirms. "I know you have a lot of questions, but… I have a surprise for you."

She steps inside and turns the lights back on, and Quinn lets out a louder gasp as everyone in the room yells 'surprise!' along with Rachel. Kurt then turns on the mirrored ball and the speakers, and Rachel kisses the back of Quinn's hand.

"Rachel, what-" Quinn cuts herself off and shakes her head, confused by the sudden turn of events.

"It was an idea that struck me when I was in Lima," Rachel says vaguely. "Everyone helped me out with this."

Still speechless, Quinn grabs Rachel's face in her hands and leans in to kiss her, tears rolling down her cheeks. Moaning softly, Rachel kisses her back, and Quinn murmurs a quiet 'thank you' against her lips. Rachel wants to tell her that she loves her but she decides to save it for later, after all the surprises are done.

"You like it?" Rachel asks breathlessly when Quinn lets go.

"I love it," Quinn responds, her hazel eyes twinkling as their gazes meet.

Rachel leads Quinn to the dance floor, slow songs playing in the background. The playlist was also her doing, and she decided not to include any show tunes in it. She gathered Quinn's favorites and put them in along with a few of hers and tweaked the arrangement a little.

Rachel curtsies, which makes Quinn giggle. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes, of course," Quinn laughs.

Beaming widely, Rachel places her hands on Quinn's waist, the blonde's hands on her shoulders. Kurt and Elliott, and Santana and Dani follow after them, and it definitely feels like prom all over again. Except that it's a whole lot better because there aren't any fighting boys. But mostly because she's finally dancing with Quinn.

Soon, they're standing so close to each other that Rachel can feel the warmth of Quinn's breath and smell the strawberry shampoo on her hair. They sway along to the beat of the music, and Rachel holds Quinn closer, their foreheads touching.

"You really are full of surprises, Rachel Berry," Quinn breathes out, her breath warm and hazel eyes soft. And then she pushes herself closer to Rachel, face against her neck, hands clutching her back possessively. "No one else has ever made an effort to make a date fun for me before…"

Rachel wraps her arms around Quinn's neck, relishing in the closeness of their bodies and the sensation of soft, pink lips brushing against her neck. "What can I say? You're worth it, Quinn."

She can feel Quinn smile against her skin, her breath hitching at how close they are to each other. Quinn sings along, her voice smoky and warm. The intimacy makes Rachel weak in the knees, and she has to hold on tighter to Quinn to keep herself from buckling to the ground.

And just like that, all of the songs finish playing, and by the end of it, Quinn is grasping her face and kissing her again. Deep, passionate, slow-burning. Her toes curl and she grips at Quinn's dress, her lungs straining to force air into her system. No one in the room makes a sound, and she's grateful that Santana isn't making a snarky comment to ruin everything.

"Thank you," Quinn whispers, her voice raw with emotion.

Rachel nods and hugs Quinn, then looks at Kurt. Smiling in understanding, Kurt vanishes into her bedroom, and Elliott, Santana, and Dani take their place at the mini stage.

Soon, Kurt reappears, carefully cradling the tiara as he takes his place next to Elliott.

"And now, it's time to announce the prom queen winner!" Elliott announces.

Quinn's eyes widen in surprise, and Rachel giggles at her shell-shocked reaction. Grinning widely, Rachel steers Quinn around, placing her hand at the small of her back.

"The prom queen is none other than… Quinn Fabray!"

"I- what- Rachel?" Quinn turns around and looks at Rachel, a bewildered expression on her face.

Rachel laughs and kisses Quinn's cheek. "Well, you can't expect to have a prom without a prom queen winner, right?"

Quinn grins and walks up the stage, Rachel following her. Kurt gives Rachel the tiara, and Quinn bows down slightly.

"I know you gave me this, but you've always been prom queen to me," Rachel whispers as she places the tiara on Quinn's head. "Congratulations, Quinn."

Everyone claps and cheers, and Rachel is awestruck at how perfectly Quinn wears the tiara. She holds her chin up high, hazel eyes bright with joy and golden curls framing her face. And it's infinitely more beautiful that Rachel had imagined it to be. It's only right for Quinn to wear it, because in Rachel's eyes, she deserves to be treated like a queen.

Someone to respect and honor, to hold in high regard.

"You look- wow," Rachel says, completely stunned.

Quinn blushes and giggles while the rest congratulate her, with Santana patting her shoulder. She thanks them, and then her eyes are on Rachel again.

"You're amazing," Quinn smiles fondly, her teeth and dimples showing. "So, so _amazing_. How did you even think of all this?"

"Well… I wanted to give you that corsage during our prom. And I couldn't. So when Finn asked me for advice on what to give you, I thought that maybe that was my opportunity to make you smile," Rachel explains, the regret starting to wash over her again. Quinn squeezes her hand and waits for her to continue. "And then I came back to Lima last week. I saw that tiara sitting inside the glass case, and I just- I wanted to see you wearing it. I wanted another chance to redo prom and to give you both the corsage and the tiara personally," she finishes softly, nearly choking on her words.

"It's perfect, Rachel. Thank you. I can't describe how happy I am right now," Quinn murmurs, tracing Rachel's cheeks with her thumb.

"How about this?" Rachel tangles her fingers in Quinn's hair and brings her in for a tender kiss, pale hands gripping her waist while their lips brush together. She gasps as Quinn takes her bottom lip between her teeth, tugging gently before letting go.

"Just get a damn room already!" Santana calls out, and they break apart in a fit of giggles.

"Alright, alright!" Rachel yells and squeaks in surprise as Quinn starts tugging her towards the direction of her bedroom. She attaches their lips together as soon as the door closes behind them, passionate at first, then slowing down into slow kisses. "W-wait, we need to take off your corsage and tiara first!"

Quinn laughs and takes the two items off, then places them on Rachel's desk. "There."

Rachel breathes a sigh of relief and fuses their lips back together, her desires beginning to flare the moment Quinn starts running her hands up and down her back seductively. She momentarily curses her own dress because it's preventing her from feeling Quinn's hands on her skin, especially since she's waited long enough for this.

"Won't the others hear us?" Quinn mumbles as they both stumble onto the bed, a tinge of pink coating their cheeks.

"Nope. I gave specific instructions that they should be out of the loft if ever we end up in the bedroom," Rachel breathes out, her fingers itching to unbuckle the belt wrapped around Quinn's waist.

"So Santana's going to be staying with Dani, and Kurt with Elliott?"

"Mmhmm."

"You really do have everything under control, don't you?" Quinn shakes her head and laughs, hazel eyes twinkling with mirth.

"I wouldn't be Rachel Berry if I didn't," Rachel grins, wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck. "So, prom queen. That's great." She kisses the corner of Quinn's mouth. "No one expected any less."

"A college student prom queen. That sounds about right," Quinn rolls her eyes playfully and swoops in for a lingering kiss.

"Oh, but you were the real prom queen, remember?" Rachel raises an eyebrow. "I even voted for you and all."

"And Santana told us to stop making out."

Rachel grins at the memory. They might not have been making out then, but they sure did after they started dating.

"And now Santana just told us to get a room," she says suggestively.

"Which we are in right now," Quinn smirks, tangles her legs over Rachel's, and flips them over.

Rachel wheezes as she lands flat on her back, her head hitting the pillow and Quinn gloriously straddling her.

"Good thing we're past our third date, huh?" Rachel remarks, lets out a moan as Quinn rocks her hips.

"Yep. But we really should take advantage of this room of yours…" Quinn trails off, leans forward and kisses Rachel's cheeks. "That we're all alone…" Kisses Rachel's neck. "And that we can _finally_ get naked together." She nips at Rachel's collarbone, and the brunette shudders at Quinn's emphasis on the word 'finally'.

"Oh God, okay," Rachel babbles, eyes closing while Quinn starts roaming her hands across her clothed body.

It's hard to concentrate with Quinn's hands all over her while she's rolling her hips, and God she just wants to see _all_ of the blonde. Suddenly, having clothes on while Quinn is on top of her is too much of an issue, and she just wants them off. With a quiet grunt, she sits up and Quinn squeals in surprise and clutches on to her shoulder, cheeks flush and legs around her waist.

Grinning widely, she latches her lips onto Quinn's neck and sucks, eliciting a delighted moan. She continues trailing kisses up and down Quinn's neck, hand reaching back to unzip her dress. Quinn's ragged breaths mix with the sound of her zipper slowly being pulled down, until it catches at her belt. Rachel groans in frustration, but Quinn just giggles and slides the straps off her shoulders, revealing more and more skin.

"Here..." Quinn pushes Rachel back and guides her hands to her belt, helping her unbuckle it.

Rachel hums at the contact of Quinn's hand on hers, and after fumbling a few times, she finally manages to get rid of the belt. It easily slides off Quinn's waist, and Rachel flings it towards the floor. She mewls as the dress slides further down, and then it bunches around Quinn's waist, exposing her smooth, toned abs and a lacy red bra that cups her breasts.

" _Fuck_ ," Rachel curses, stunned by the very sexy underwear that Quinn is wearing.

Quinn smiles, runs her hands up and down her torso. "I didn't know you curse."

"Well, forgive me for not being able to think of anything else appropriate while you're-" her breath catches in her throat as she motions helplessly to Quinn's breasts. "-wearing something as sexy as that."

Quinn licks her lips and cups her breasts, causing Rachel to groan deeply. "I'm glad that it has quite an effect on you."

Rachel's voice nearly takes on a growl as she says, "You have no idea."

A flirty smile curls at Quinn's lips, and Rachel wipes it off by kissing her, more intensely this time. She sighs in relief as her fingers finally meet alabaster skin, and she tugs at Quinn's dress to pull it down. The effort causes her to fall backwards with a disgruntled 'oof', and Quinn laughs as she wiggles off the dress and throws it across the room.

Now, Quinn is left in just her bra and a matching pair of equally lacy panties, and Rachel still fully dressed.

"This is not how I expected our first time to be," Rachel sighs as she looks up at the breathtaking angel currently straddling her. Though Quinn looks more like a Victoria's Secret Angel, what with her tousled hair, swollen lips, and very, _very_ sexy underwear.

"Well, I think it's perfect," Quinn laughs, all bright and cheery. "Except for the fact that you still have all your clothes on."

"I guess we'll just have to take care of that," Rachel grins as she sits up again, determined not to fall on her back any longer this time around.

"Yes, we will," Quinn agrees, curls her fingers around Rachel's waist and kisses all around her face, deftly unzipping the brunette's dress while their lips brush against each other.

With help from Quinn, Rachel manages to tug off her own dress and drops it to the floor. She wears a matching black bra and panties, though not as revealing compared to what Quinn is wearing. But heaven help her because Quinn is just so frustratingly gorgeous, and she's tempted to rip off those lacy underwear.

Though she doesn't think it's quite a good idea as of now. But maybe she'll allow herself to indulge in doing that in the future. And hopefully Quinn will approve.

Quinn wraps her legs around Rachel's waist and they kiss passionately, lips pushing and pulling against each other. Rachel moans when Quinn takes her bottom lip between her teeth and sucks, hips rolling and hands on her shoulders. She wraps her arms around Quinn's waist and pushes their bodies together as close as she can, then unhooks the blonde's bra. It falls on Quinn's lap, and she blindly reaches for it while their lips are still attached, then flings it away. Quinn hums and rakes her fingernails against her arms, caresses her skin with her smooth fingertips. Goosebumps rise from her arm as Quinn touches her sensuously, her arousal beginning to flare.

"Off," Quinn growls as she unclasps Rachel's bra and throws it away haphazardly, and their nipples graze while they rub against each other.

Despite her ability to hold her breath for long periods of time when she's singing, that power is seemingly absent when it comes to having Quinn's nearly naked body pressing ever so closely against hers, and she feels even more powerless because Quinn's is also kissing her, firm and unwilling to back away.

She pulls away for a brief moment and pushes Quinn onto her back, then attacks her jaw and neck with soft kisses. Small shivers rack her spine as Quinn circles her arms around her neck and loosely wraps her legs around her hips. She grazes Quinn's abs with her fingernails, watching her skin jump with each gentle caress.

Rachel ducks her head and captures a hardened nipple into her mouth, and Quinn moans breathlessly as she suckles on it. Cupping both breasts, Rachel gently kneads them, relishing in the way they fill her hands. Looking up, she sees that Quinn is watching her, eyes hooded and lips parted. Smiling softly, she goes back to work and pays close attention to Quinn's breasts, to her breathy sighs and her content moans.

She loves that she's giving Quinn pleasure, because heaven knows she's been wanting to make love to her for a long time now.

After playing with Quinn's breasts, she moves lower to lick a hot stripe from her stomach up to her chest, smiling at the way the blonde shudders. She nips and runs her tongue all over Quinn's abdomen, kisses her sweetly on the lips, then makes her way back south. The musky scent of Quinn's arousal fills her nostrils once she settles her head in between pale and slender legs, smooth thighs quivering in anticipation of what is about to come next.

Her head spins at the thought of tasting Quinn, and she looks up again, her brown eyes asking for permission. With a shy smile, Quinn nods and Rachel slowly pulls off her panties, and she leans back a little to admire her nakedness.

It's, well- there's no other way to describe Quinn other than that she was made by Aphrodite herself. Every part of her, perfectly sculpted with soft curves and a perfectly shaped body. No amount of time could ever prepare Rachel for the beauty of Quinn's naked body lying underneath her, and as if a fully clothed Quinn couldn't take away all the air from her lungs, _this_ happens.

"Gorgeous," is all that Rachel can say, but she knows that it's inadequate to describe how stunning Quinn is.

"Thank you…" Quinn smiles abashedly as Rachel nuzzles her neck. "Can I take off your panties?"

Rachel swallows and nods, watching Quinn take off the last piece of clothing she has on. Now that they're fully naked in front of each other, she remembers that she has something else to ask Quinn.

"Can I ask you something?"

Quinn tilts her head in confusion, but nods in the end.

"Quinn, will you be my girlfriend?" Rachel asks breathlessly, as she gazes into Quinn's bright hazel eyes.

Giggling lightly, Quinn wraps her arms around Rachel's neck. "I thought I already was. But yes, Rachel, I'll officially be your girlfriend."

At this, Rachel grins widely, the biggest smile she's ever worn. With a delighted squeal, she lunges forward and peppers Quinn's face with sweet kisses, and they both laugh while they tangle in the sheets.

"Don't you have something to do?" Quinn moans against her lips.

"I forgot. What was it?" Rachel teases. Quinn rolls her eyes playfully and tilts her head south, right between her legs. "Ohh, that. Well, here I go."

And with that, she dives right in between Quinn's legs and opens them. Licking her lips, she nuzzles Quinn soft mound and plants kisses all over it, earning a delighted gasp.

"Please, Rachel…" Quinn begs, cheeks burning a bright pink as she spreads her legs further.

Rachel moans and places her hands on Quinn's inner thighs, keeping them spread apart as she starts licking at the source of her nectar. The heady taste fills her mouth, and she sighs at how delicious Quinn is. She alternates between kissing and lapping at Quinn's core, more wetness gushing out to replace the ones that she licks away.

Quinn mewls as Rachel broadens the strokes of her tongue, flicking away at her nether lips and clit. Humming softly, Rachel buries her face further inside, happily mouthing away at Quinn's sex.

It doesn't take a long time before Quinn's moans rise in pitch, occasionally chanting Rachel's name and inserting a few swear words now and then that turns Rachel on even more. Her hips rise off the bed to hump against Rachel's mouth in greedy juts, slender fingers tangling against her hair to keep her in place.

Not that Rachel has any intention of keeping her mouth and tongue away, because Quinn tastes absolutely divine.

"So good… Ungh, Rachel!" Quinn cries out as she comes, and Rachel's eyes flicker upwards to watch her girlfriend get lost in the abyss of her orgasm.

It's beautiful, the way Quinn squeezes her eyes shut and lets go of her hair to tug at the sheets, her lips parted in a silent scream as her body crashes back down on the bed. She plants a kiss on Quinn's quivering core as she climbs back up, and slender hands cup her face to bring her in for a deep kiss.

"And here I was thinking that you used your mouth only for singing," Quinn chuckles hoarsely, her chest heaving as she tries to catch up to her breath. "But Rachel, _that_ was really, really good."

"Well, I'm glad that you recognize that my mouth has other talents other than belting out notes," Rachel smirks, feeling proud of herself for making Quinn come.

Quinn slaps her arm lightly. "Dork. Now are you going to talk all night, or are you going to let me return the favor?"

"I'll shut up now." Rachel makes a zipping motion over her lips, and Quinn slaps her arm again.

Without any effort at all, Quinn rolls Rachel over, and the brunette admires her strength for a short second because in the next, Quinn is already trailing kisses all over her body. Quinn teases her for a bit, caressing her thighs and licking her collarbone to the point where Rachel feels like she's going insane.

Because really, it wouldn't be Quinn if she doesn't tease.

And then there are two fingers inside of her, pumping slowly and steadily. Her legs fall open of their own accord and she pants as Quinn curls her digits into a come-hither motion, stroking and exploring her walls.

It's absolutely heavenly, the way Quinn twists and scissors her fingers deep inside of her, and she doesn't bother fighting back her moans because it's useless. She pulls Quinn towards her and kisses her sloppily, unable to do it properly because god, her girlfriend is doing such an amazing job of making her feel good.

Quinn tries to hold her still when she starts to writhe, so instead she rolls her hips and groans when their breasts slide together, and fuck it feels really, really wonderful to have Quinn's sweat-slicked body rubbing against hers.

A sharp gasp falls from her lips when Quinn's thumb finds her clit, and it turns her into a writhing mess of unadulterated pleasure, feeling everything inside of her becoming tighter and tighter until she just wants to break and fall apart.

"Mmm, yes! Unf- Quinn!" Rachel has absolutely no idea that it's coming out naughty to Quinn.

Those heaven sent fingers thrust harder and faster inside of her, coaxing her to come undone. And suddenly she knows how an instrument must feel like when its strings are being played to the point where it nearly snaps, because she's there at this very moment.

"Come, Rachel," Quinn urges, and that is when Rachel finally snaps. Like a string well-worn, but played well.

" _Ohmygod, Quinn!_ " she screams as she comes undone, violent tremors racking her small frame as Quinn helps her ride out her orgasm.

Her legs are shaking, chest rising and falling rapidly with her orgasm still crashing into her in small, frequent waves. It's easily the best one she's had so far, not that she experienced many beforehand to begin with. Quinn grins and withdraws her fingers, leaning forward to kiss Rachel.

"I hope you're not done yet," Rachel says cheekily, and Quinn laughs and shakes her head. "Because I am most definitely not finished with you yet." She smirks and rolls Quinn over to her back, with more effort because she doesn't have the same physical training that Quinn had gone through with Coach Sylvester.

"Nuh uh," Quinn moans, closes her eyes as Rachel teases her opening.

"Good." Rachel bites down on Quinn's shoulder, and they're both moaning and groaning again a few moments after.

Rachel has lost count of how many rounds they've had, but by the end of it, she lays a boneless heap on top of Quinn, her throat dry and limbs unwilling to cooperate with her. But she manages to roll onto her back, even though her muscles are protesting at such a simple act. She grabs a bottle of water from the bedside table and takes a long swig, then offers it to Quinn.

"That was- wow," Quinn laughs in amazement as she puts the bottle aside and curls up against Rachel, offering to be the little spoon.

"Explosive. Supernova," Rachel adds with a breathless chuckle as she stares up at the ceiling. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

"Seriously?" Quinn scoffs, but a fond smile soon replaces it. "You are such a dork."

"But you have to admit that it's one of my fun qualities."

"Whatever you say."

Rachel laughs and presses her lips against Quinn's forehead. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything." Quinn splays her arm over Rachel's stomach and looks up at her.

"I love you," Rachel says seriously, and Quinn kisses her fiercely as a response.

"Guess what? I love you, too," Quinn says softly, hazel eyes bright and warm.

"Yeah?" Rachel breathes a sigh of relief. "You don't think that we're going too fast or something?"

Quinn shakes her head and traces Rachel's jaw with the tip of her index finger. "Nope. I think we're going at just the right pace."

Rachel hums, watches Quinn's eyes flicker across her face. With other people, she normally feels self-conscious when they stare, despite the self-confidence she shows everyone. But with Quinn... she doesn't find herself feeling that way. Maybe because they're so open with each other, and the fact that they've just taken their physical and emotional relationship to the next level.

"Since when?" Quinn prods gently, eyes settling on Rachel's.

"I realized it when Finn asked me for advice on what to give you for prom," Rachel answers and sighs. Quinn starts to tear up but quickly wipes them away, hand shaking against Rachel's stomach.

"The corsage," she whispers.

"The corsage," Rachel echoes in agreement. "They mean secret love, too."

Quinn breathes quietly, tangling herself against Rachel's arms and legs.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Rachel swallows thickly and closes her eyes. "I was afraid," she admits.

"That I would end our friendship?"

"Yeah," Rachel nods, looks into Quinn's hazel eyes. "And of you not loving me back."

"Well, I love you back," Quinn whispers and shifts closer to Rachel.

"And that's why I'm not afraid anymore," Rachel murmurs, wrapping her arm around Quinn's shoulders.

"Was that also why you didn't answer my texts and calls? When you got back to New York after seeing that corsage on my desk?"

Of course. Quinn knows her too much to believe that pathetic excuse of hers in the first place.

"Yeah," she squeezes her eyes shut and pinches her nose. "I'm really, really sorry for that."

"Don't be. I'm pretty sure the orgasms you just gave me completely makes up for that," Quinn smiles, shifting the conversation towards a lighter tone. "But seriously, Rachel, all is forgiven."

"Thanks," Rachel flashes Quinn a watery smile and kisses her tenderly, her chest warming at the contact of their lips.

"You're always welcome."

Rachel nods and holds Quinn tight, relishing in her softness, the feeling of her body pressed so closely against hers that no space was left in between. Quinn nuzzles her neck with her nose, hand rubbing her flat stomach.

"Can you come with me tomorrow?" Quinn requests, dancing her fingers around Rachel's skin.

"Sure, where do you want to go?"

"I'm going to buy the materials for preserving the corsage you just gave me."

"One step ahead of you."

Quinn snaps her head to look at her, a surprised expression coloring her face. "You- what?"

"I got the materials beforehand. I was thinking maybe we can work on it tomorrow?" she asks hopefully, and Quinn giggles and bobs her head.

"You're such an awesome girlfriend, did you know that?" Quinn shakes her head fondly.

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," Rachel corrects her, earning a playful roll of the eyes. "But awesome is a pretty accurate description, too, if I must admit."

"Just go to sleep, you dork."

"But you love this dork."

"Yes, yes I do."

"Good night, Quinn. I love you, too," Rachel smiles, and Quinn hums tiredly as she closes her eyes.

With careful movements, she uses her free hand to pull the sheets over their naked bodies, shielding them both from the cool air circulating in the room. Quinn sighs and buries her face against her neck, saying her name with a sleepy murmur.

Awesome, indeed.

* * *

The next morning, they work on preserving the corsage. Quinn fills the container halfway full with silica gel, then carefully places the corsage on top of it. Rachel puts on the final coating of the silica gel on top of the gardenia, then seals the plastic container tightly. She wraps masking tape around the lid and the bottom of the container for good measure, and they smile at each other for a job well done.

"Perfect," Rachel says, and Quinn nods in agreement.

"So, who's going to keep this safe?" Quinn asks, motioning to the sealed container.

"I think you should bring it with you. With Santana around, who's to tell that it'll be safe with me?"

Quinn laughs and nods. "You're right. I would hate to waste it. Especially since it directly came from you."

"Are you still going to keep the old one?"

"Yes, of course. Now that I've confirmed that it really came from you, it just makes it all the more special to me," Quinn smiles softly as Rachel takes her hand. "I never got the chance to thank you for that."

Rachel shakes her head and pulls Quinn to sit on her lap. Gripping Quinn's waist, she looks up into love-filled hazel eyes and says, "You being with me right now is more than enough of a thank you. So don't worry about it."

"I'd still hate to owe you, though. You made me feel appreciated that night. And every day even before we became girlfriends."

"You know I'll always make you feel loved, Quinn," Rachel smiles warmly, holding Quinn more securely. "And I love how you say that we're _girlfriends_."

"I bet you do, you adorable dork."

"Adorkable?"

"Not a real word, but just because it's you, I'll accept it."

"Supercali-"

"Don't even finish that," Quinn groans.

"My lips are sealed." Rachel purses her lips, and Quinn sighs in playful exasperation before leaning down to kiss her. "I love that too, by the way," she grins as Quinn pecks her.

"Who's going to clean up?" Quinn asks as she nods her head towards the walls.

"Oh, I'll just help out when the rest comes back here later."

"Is that enough time for me to thank you?"

"Thank me how?" Rachel asks, looking at Quinn with a puzzled expression.

As a response, Quinn climbs off her lap and leads her back to the bedroom, the container holding the corsage in hand.

* * *

Three weeks after that, Rachel is back inside Quinn's dorm room. There is now a small glass cabinet sitting in the corner of Quinn's bedroom, and inside sits both of the wrist corsages on the second shelf, with the tiara on the top one.

To think that the first time she saw that the first corsage had been well-taken care of, she had been afraid to come out and directly tell Quinn that it had been her that brought the idea to life and not Finn.

Green eyes with flecks of gold. When she's in New York without Quinn, those are the colors that she sees behind her eyelids when she goes to sleep. And on their sleepover weekends, those are the very same colors that greet her when she wakes up with Quinn beside her in the same bed.

Quinn slips beside her and locks their fingers together, and Rachel glances at her and smiles.

"What are you thinking about?" Quinn asks, rubbing circles on the back of Rachel's hand with her thumb.

"I forgot to give you a sash, didn't I?"

Quinn arches an eyebrow. "A sash?"

"Yeah! With prom queen written in capital and bold, black letters over it," Rachel answers, not taking her eyes off the tiara. "I'm sure it will go perfectly with you wearing the tiara."

"And this is how I know I'm dating Rachel Berry," Quinn grins and squeezes Rachel's hand. "You just need to have the most brilliant ideas, don't you?"

"That is one of my many characteristics, yes. Would you like a PowerPoint presentation to go along with that?"

Quinn scrunches her nose and shakes her head. "Nope. You know I love you and all, but I would like it better if you left PowerPoint presentations out of the conversation."

"You're no fun," Rachel looks at Quinn and pouts. "But fine, only because I love you, too."

"Thank you, baby," Quinn smiles sweetly.

"You're spared, for now," Rachel narrows her eyes while Quinn bats her eyelashes innocently.

"Now shut up and kiss me," Quinn demands.

Rachel snorts and grasps the back of Quinn's neck, firmly pressing their lips together. As though Quinn even has to ask for such a thing, because she's always glad to do it.

"God, I love your eyes so much," she mumbles as she pulls away, rendered breathless by hazel eyes staring back at her. "So pretty."

"Dork."

"Hey! They were the reason I thought of that corsage in the first place!" Rachel complains. "And you've been saying I'm a dork a lot lately!"

"That's because you're acting like one!"

"Oh, please," Rachel huffs and folds her arms over her chest.

"So, how else would you describe my eyes?" Quinn asks. "And please don't say-"

"-supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," Rachel singsongs, delighting in the slightly annoyed look that crosses Quinn's features.

"You do realize it sounds like nonsense, right?"

"Okay, fine! How about this?" She clears her throat. " _You and your pretty eyes keep me alive, keep me alive…_ " Rachel sings out loud, gesturing with exaggerated movements of her hands towards Quinn's face.

"The way you're singing is unflattering," Quinn says, unimpressed. "One last chance, baby."

"Alright, I'll get it right this time for sure. They're beautiful, just like you. Every time I look at them, I fall in love over again because they remind me of prom. When you smiled, your eyes smiled, too. And I knew that you loved my gift, because that was the first time I saw your eyes _really_ smile," Rachel says softly, her gaze unwavering. "And I just want to keep looking at them forever."

"That's- thank you," Quinn swallows, holds Rachel's face in her hands and kisses her with all the strength that she could muster.

"Was that good enough of a description for you?"

Quinn laughs and nods, then kisses her again. Soft and gentle, and Rachel feels herself go numb all over again like the first time that Quinn kissed her. "Perfect. Thank you for everything, Rachel. For always making me smile."

"You know I always will," Rachel returns Quinn's fond smile and pulls her in for a tight embrace, gaze steady on twinkling hazel eyes.

She doesn't mind if she has to give Quinn bouquets of gardenias or single gardenias wrapped in a light green ribbon every single day if it means getting to have this-Quinn in her arms and in love with her, too. Especially with those green irises with flecks of gold swirling within them.


End file.
